The dispensing of paper products has resulted in many different types of dispensing devices for controlling quantities dispensed as well as for determining how efficiently the paper products are dispensed. Primarily, these dispensers use mechanical paper feeding mechanisms, actuated by the user physically touching the dispenser equipment to deliver a fixed length of paper. This bodily contact can raise concerns over hygiene when such dispensers are located in public restroom facilities.
The use of electronic dispensers is becoming more prevalent especially in public restroom facilities where the electronic dispensers dispense a measured length of sheet material upon sensing the presence of a user. In such “hands free” operation, the user does not manually activate or otherwise contact the dispenser in order to initiate a dispense cycle.
Conventional electronic dispensers accumulate and discharge static electricity during the dispense cycle. Static charge can be generated by various components or operations such as the movement of sheet material over rollers, interactions between rollers, etc. If the static charge is not dissipated, the user may receive a static shock if he touches the dispenser during use. In addition, the static charge can adversely affect the electronic control and sensor circuitry in the dispenser.